Shillong: Meghalaya’s indigenous past will be traced through its oral traditions, languages, customary institutions, festivals and material culture under a multidisciplinary research initiative — “Tracing the Roots”.At a review meeting on Thursday, CM Conrad K Sangma held detailed discussions with the committee guiding the project and reviewed its implementation roadmap.“The initiative will adopt a multidisciplinary approach, integrating historical research, oral traditions, indigenous knowledge systems, linguistics, archaeology, ethnography and contemporary scientific methods, including genetic studies where appropriate, to critically examine theories relating to the origins and historical movements of the indigenous communities,” an official statement said.The project will document customary institutions, festivals, material culture and the vitality of indigenous languages. Digital archives will be created to preserve these resources for future generations.Dedicated digital platforms have also been developed to record the research’s progress, preserve knowledge and encourage public engagement.“The initiative is aimed at building a robust, evidence-based understanding of Meghalaya’s indigenous heritage while preserving invaluable oral histories and cultural traditions,” the chief minister highlighted.Officials said preparatory work, including the formation of research teams and development of the project framework, has been underway since February.The initiative will collaborate with national and international academic institutions on comparative historical, linguistic and cultural studies. It will also produce scholarly publications, educational resources and comprehensive digital repositories.“The ‘Tracing the Roots’ initiative seeks to preserve Meghalaya’s rich indigenous heritage through rigorous academic research, strengthen cultural identity and create a lasting repository of knowledge for scholars, policymakers and future generations,” the official statement underscored.
